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baker16's review against another edition
3.0
This is the best ghost story I've ever read. Although it is somewhat typical, it is altogether an awesome ghost story with a totally unpredictable ending. MacHale is a very talented author in that he is able to hold the mystery of the story until the very end.
greenbeanteenqueen's review against another edition
3.0
About the Book: Marshall Seaver is being haunted. It starts with strange noises and symbols appearing to him, but then things get stranger. Marshall starts to see Gravedigger, a comic character he created. When his best friend Cooper disappears, Marshall must work together with Sydney, Cooper's "ice queen" sister to figure out what is happening. The two discover that something bigger than they ever expected is after them-and no one is safe.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I'll admit it-I'm a wimp-I can't do scary stories. But I have readers who love them, so I try to read some every once in awhile. Since D.J. MacHale's previous series, Pendragon, is very popular at my library, I was eager to give this one a try.
Morpheus Road: The Light had somewhat of a slow start for me. I like dialogue in my stories and this book starts off with a lot of description. But that does make for action at times, so I could see how readers who like suspense in their stories and description would enjoy that. The book does pick up eventually, but it took a long time to get there. When it does finally pick up it takes off running. (This might just be because I'm not a big description reader, but I felt like it took about half the book for it to really get going. But if you have fantasy fans who eat up those big wordy books, they would probably wouldn't think twice about the slower pace at the beginning.)
There may be some things that could scare some readers, but for the most part, I didn't see why older tweens couldn't pick this one up. The book lists ages 10+ and I think that works, especially if you have tweens who are watching big screen scary movies! I think this would be a good pick for readers who are ready for the next step up from Goosebumps. The author used to write for the TV show Are You Afraid of the Dark? (anyone else remember that show?) and I thought this book had the same feel. The plot jumped around a lot, which might have been another reason it took me awhile to get into it.
Readers looking for a good suspenseful read will enjoy Morpheus Road. This is the first in a planned trilogy, so while the story wraps up in some places, there are plenty of loose ends to give readers lots of questions. Give this one to readers who love scary ghost stories and are ready to move on from Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark to something more.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I'll admit it-I'm a wimp-I can't do scary stories. But I have readers who love them, so I try to read some every once in awhile. Since D.J. MacHale's previous series, Pendragon, is very popular at my library, I was eager to give this one a try.
Morpheus Road: The Light had somewhat of a slow start for me. I like dialogue in my stories and this book starts off with a lot of description. But that does make for action at times, so I could see how readers who like suspense in their stories and description would enjoy that. The book does pick up eventually, but it took a long time to get there. When it does finally pick up it takes off running. (This might just be because I'm not a big description reader, but I felt like it took about half the book for it to really get going. But if you have fantasy fans who eat up those big wordy books, they would probably wouldn't think twice about the slower pace at the beginning.)
There may be some things that could scare some readers, but for the most part, I didn't see why older tweens couldn't pick this one up. The book lists ages 10+ and I think that works, especially if you have tweens who are watching big screen scary movies! I think this would be a good pick for readers who are ready for the next step up from Goosebumps. The author used to write for the TV show Are You Afraid of the Dark? (anyone else remember that show?) and I thought this book had the same feel. The plot jumped around a lot, which might have been another reason it took me awhile to get into it.
Readers looking for a good suspenseful read will enjoy Morpheus Road. This is the first in a planned trilogy, so while the story wraps up in some places, there are plenty of loose ends to give readers lots of questions. Give this one to readers who love scary ghost stories and are ready to move on from Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark to something more.
kaitrosereads's review against another edition
4.0
I am not much for creepy ghost stories but The Light was actually a pretty good book. It was definitely unlike anything I have read before and there were times when I was seriously creeped out. This is one of those books to read in the daylight when there are people around.
Marshall was a cute character. He was a huge geek and he didn't have a lot of friends. When he started seeing crazy things he went to tell his best friend, Cooper, only to find out that he was missing. He didn't know how but he knew that the two things were somehow connected. He got Cooper's sister, Sydney, to help him out and things got super crazy from there. It was a wild ride!
I think the creepiest parts of the book weren't when Marshall was seeing Gravedigger but when he was hearing things. If you have ever been alone late at night in an old house you understand why that is so creepy. Now I'm going to think Gravedigger is coming for me. =]
I was left with quite a few questions but I look forward to finding out the answers in the next book in the trilogy. This one was a bit slow going at first but it does pick up and by the end you will be on the edge of your seat.
Overall, The Light is a promising start to a new trilogy. If you love ghost stories this is a book for you and this is one book that I have to add to my list of recommendations for guys. It's one of the few books that I have read that I think both guys and girls will enjoy!
Marshall was a cute character. He was a huge geek and he didn't have a lot of friends. When he started seeing crazy things he went to tell his best friend, Cooper, only to find out that he was missing. He didn't know how but he knew that the two things were somehow connected. He got Cooper's sister, Sydney, to help him out and things got super crazy from there. It was a wild ride!
I think the creepiest parts of the book weren't when Marshall was seeing Gravedigger but when he was hearing things. If you have ever been alone late at night in an old house you understand why that is so creepy. Now I'm going to think Gravedigger is coming for me. =]
I was left with quite a few questions but I look forward to finding out the answers in the next book in the trilogy. This one was a bit slow going at first but it does pick up and by the end you will be on the edge of your seat.
Overall, The Light is a promising start to a new trilogy. If you love ghost stories this is a book for you and this is one book that I have to add to my list of recommendations for guys. It's one of the few books that I have read that I think both guys and girls will enjoy!
jennicer33's review
2.0
Meh. Reads like a Creepy Pasta. (Not that there's anything wrong with Creepy Pasta if you're a 14 year old boy.) First person narratives rarely allow the reader to fully engage with the characters because it's all "I this.... I that..." Redundantly repetative. I feel like the author was padding his word count by repeating the same sentences, using slightly different words. I could have skipped every other paragraph and not missed a thing.
dawn_dickerson's review
3.0
Other world within our world was not entirely believable to me. read upon recommendation from a student. glad I did but not my go to book.
skybalon's review against another edition
4.0
Good YA fiction. It is rare to have horror fiction be genuinely creepy, not just bloody/gory, this one at times succeeded. It is a good start to the trilogy as well. There are some slow parts but nothing that lasts too long. There is the beginning of a mythology here that may be hard to keep consistent and rational but it will be interesting to see if the author can pull it off.
topiazoolo24's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
roshk99's review against another edition
3.0
Decent, fast-paced book, it was a bit too psychological and unreal, it was not potentially believable, the ending was somewhat disappointing.
adrienneambo's review against another edition
4.0
First in planned triology. Story of Marshall who is plagued by evil spirits, trying to solve the murder of his friend Cooper. Good audio, suitable for middle school.
eserafina42's review
4.0
I'd give this 4-1/2 stars if they had half-star ratings here. It's well-written, I found the characters believable if not always likable (like real people), and MacHale didn't shrink from letting some really bad stuff happen to them, just like in real life. I look forward to the next one.